[IxDA Discuss] Motorola Motofone User Experience

[Barbara Ballard]

On 12/7/06, David Malouf <dave at ixda.org> wrote:
>
> Josh Viney wrote:
> > why build a phone that has to be a pure phone and can never be more than
> > that?
>
> Cost!!! (the ultimate user-centric feature!)
>
> Let's remember that in developing countries people make in a year what people in teh US make in a month.
>

True but ... take a look at web access in those same developing
countries.  The mobile is not just for voice communications, it is
also the replacement for the computer and wired access.

The BBC recently wrote about international WAP (mobile) access to
their site ... led by Nigeria (61%), South Africa (19%) and Jamaica
and Uganda (7% each).

I have readers of my blog who can only get to it via mobile - all African.

There was a recent news bit that "only slightly more than  one out of
10 South Africans with bank accounts have used their cellphones for
banking". My take: 10%!  That's amazing!  What's the US or even UK
rate?

Pricing is indeed what is slowing the mobile internet trend in Africa,
with service costing twice as much as it does elsewhere.  This is
likely the result of knowing that customers don't have the other
Internet options that they do elsewhere, plus the dearth of prepaid
plans due to lack of credit cards.

Anyhow, there are cogent arguments for multiple-function devices.

-- 
Barbara Ballard
barbara at littlespringsdesign.com 1-785-838-3003